Half of foreign students report racism

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International students studying at Australian universities are
suffering from "alarming levels" of discrimination, isolation and
financial pressure, according to research.

A Monash University study has found that half the international
students interviewed had suffered from discrimination or bad
treatment; 57 per cent of female students reported
discrimination.

One in 10 said they felt unsafe in Australia.

Racism was most likely to occur at work or when students were
seeking somewhere to live, the research found.

"I wear my headscarf back in Brunei," one Muslim student said in
her interview. But in Australia, "everybody was staring at me. I
wore that headscarf for three days, and then I started telling
myself that it's not safe. I decided not to wear it."

The study, whose full results are revealed by The Age,
was conducted by the Monash Institute for the Study of Global
Movements. It interviewed more than 200 students from 34
countries.

Principal researcher Simon Marginson said the finding of
students feeling unsafe was striking, and showed Australia had "a
way to go" in providing a welcoming atmosphere for international
students.

Professor Marginson said safety and security were key factors in
student choice about where to study. And with a slowing
international student market, he cautioned that the findings should
be "ringing alarm bells".

Almost two-thirds of students reported feeling isolation and
loneliness, with females and those in regional cities more likely
to suffer. More than two-thirds work or have worked here, with 35
per cent reporting financial difficulties.

RMIT vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner said similar surveys by
RMIT found a sense of belonging and support were key issues for
international students.

Professor Gardner said universities had made many improvements
in helping international students in their transition to studying
in Australia and realise more needs to be done.

The findings coincide with a new report to the Federal
Government urging an overhaul of the regulations covering
international students.

Student care "is emerging as an area of considerable risk to not
only the wellbeing of students . . . but also to Australia's
reputation as a destination for overseas students", it says.

Growth in the international market has continued to slide. The
number of international students starting study in Australia is
down by almost two-thirds so far this year on last year.

Monash University vice-chancellor Richard Larkins said Australia
was "in danger of losing the race" for international students as
universities in neighbouring South-East and Northern Asian became
more competitive.

He warned that overreliance on revenue from overseas students
could cause fee rises that would deter students from studying in
Australia. "We're probably getting very much in danger of pricing
ourselves out of the market," he said.